33 replies to this topic

[Walter]

Don't wait, come on down.

[finley]

Don't wait, come on down.

seriously..( OOPS..forgot who I was talking to I was looking at the workshop Trace is doing...what do you think?

[Walter]

Don't wait, come on down.

seriously..( OOPS..forgot who I was talking to I was looking at the workshop Trace is doing...what do you think?

About what? Coming south before or after the workshop? Come on down.

[finley]

Don't wait, come on down.

seriously..( OOPS..forgot who I was talking to I was looking at the workshop Trace is doing...what do you think?

About what? Coming south before or after the workshop? Come on down.

Airfare is quite high ( I could fly back to Mexico) may have to wait until March(spring break) any good hiking around there? I do like to mix my pleasures

[WreckWench]

Why don't you see if there are other airfares to FL that are inexpensive...or Kim can help you with that as well. Then we'll find someone who wants to dive with us at Ginnie and you can carpool with them. The clinic Trace is offering would help you a lot! Just an idea...-ww

[Walter]

Don't wait, come on down.

seriously..( OOPS..forgot who I was talking to I was looking at the workshop Trace is doing...what do you think?

About what? Coming south before or after the workshop? Come on down.

Airfare is quite high ( I could fly back to Mexico) may have to wait until March(spring break) any good hiking around there? I do like to mix my pleasures

I'm lost.

[finley]

Don't wait, come on down.

seriously..( OOPS..forgot who I was talking to I was looking at the workshop Trace is doing...what do you think?

About what? Coming south before or after the workshop? Come on down.

Airfare is quite high ( I could fly back to Mexico) may have to wait until March(spring break) any good hiking around there? I do like to mix my pleasures

I'm lost.

NO<NO<NO< it's me that is always lost...remember :anna:
what I was saying...won't make it to Trace's workshop $$$$ ration ran out.. maybe around March....I then asked if there was any good hiking down there as I like to mix my pleasures (diving and hiking)

[Walter]

OK Darlin', I still have no idea what Trace's workshop has to do with it, but........we can find places to hike during surface intervals. I assume you're looking for wilderness areas?

[finley]

OK Darlin', I still have no idea what Trace's workshop has to do with it, but........we can find places to hike during surface intervals. I assume you're looking for wilderness areas?

do you see why I don't lead the parade? people just can't keep up
I was considering going to Trace's worshop to help with my"problem" but not going to happen...
does that help?

[Walter]

do you see why I don't lead the parade? people just can't keep up
I was considering going to Trace's worshop to help with my"problem" but not going to happen...
does that help?

I don't know anything about Trace's workshop, but I'm sure we can get to the heart of the issue when you can come to Florida.

[finley]

do you see why I don't lead the parade? people just can't keep up
I was considering going to Trace's worshop to help with my"problem" but not going to happen...
does that help?

I don't know anything about Trace's workshop, but I'm sure we can get to the heart of the issue when you can come to Florida.

(whew) glad we got that straight ok..first week in March..Ill start putting pemies in my bank now!

[Walter]

Sounds good.

[Dive_buddy]

...I continue to need an enormous amount of weight (20 to 30 lbs depending on gear) to sink...

My first question would be, how many dives do you have? One of my first dives was in swim trunks, a tee-shirt that said "If you think I'm good looking, your'e NARKED!" (long story), BC, fins, mask and an AL-80. The DM gave me a whoppin 11# of lead despite my telling him 18. At 35fsw I became neutral. Now, I can dive in a 7mil F/J a ST-100, AL-30 and only need 13 or so pounds.

A new diver will need more lead than they will later on. Also, some of us are more buoyant than others. I would suggest that until you have your weights balanced and in the right places, don't worry about how much you need (unless it is really a lot). But 20# is nothing to worry about. First get to a point where you can decend without a struggle, and you can hold your safety stop with a problem. Get used to that, then you can start to look for ways to take a few pounds off.

Many things effect your bouyancy. If your wet suit is complety dry for the first dive, you may need a pound or two extra due to it holding some air. If you are anxious about something, you will tend to hold more air in your lungs. So worry'n about how much lead you need can actually be one of the reasons you need more lead.

Here is where I will get all the instructors mad at me, but, I will say it anyway. I think too much emphasis is placed on being "overweighted" for new divers. Everyone knows that a new diver needs more lead to sink. Heck, I need more lead at the start of the dive season than I do a month later. I really think that being able to stay at 15' is more important than trying to trim every last ounce off your wieght belt.

So in a nut shell, no 20# is not too much. It may be more than what is normal, but you may be the body type that needs more lead. And I wouldn't worry too much about being "fluffy" as you put it. I've seen some really fluffy people sink like a rock. Just relax, take as much lead as you need and leave the rest. In time you will need less lead to get down.

Hope this helps.

[Walter]

Here is where I will get all the instructors mad at me, but, I will say it anyway. I think too much emphasis is placed on being "overweighted" for new divers. Everyone knows that a new diver needs more lead to sink. Heck, I need more lead at the start of the dive season than I do a month later. I really think that being able to stay at 15' is more important than trying to trim every last ounce off your wieght belt.

So in a nut shell, no 20# is not too much. It may be more than what is normal, but you may be the body type that needs more lead. And I wouldn't worry too much about being "fluffy" as you put it. I've seen some really fluffy people sink like a rock. Just relax, take as much lead as you need and leave the rest. In time you will need less lead to get down.

Hope this helps.

I'm not mad at you, but you have demonstrated a lack of understanding the topic. Overweighted divers die as a result of being overweighted. We are not talking about ounces or even a couple pounds, but many divers are grossly overweighted. Also, too much emphasis is not placed on the topic, if it were, most divers wouldn't be overweighted. Many (most?) instructors don't even bother to properly weight their students.

A new diver often will need a little more lead, but not a great deal. You don't know that 20 lbs is not too much, it's irresponsible to make such a statement.

If you are anxious about something, you will tend to hold more air in your lungs.

Proper weighting is with full lungs.

[finley]

Overweighted divers die as a result of being overweighted.

All the divers that we have discussed have been new divers....I still say they did not die becuse they were overweighted....If they are new divers they should be that dive maste's pet project....they died because the dive master left them alone.....and obviously no one else on the dive had enough experience to notice and stay with them....my last dive the "master" was so worried about jacking with me and my weights that he left my sister (pool certifiedby his company) alone in the current...I had to go get her....swept away by the current...panic was setting in...could this have been a fatal situation..yes...absolutely...when analyzed would the dive master admitted he left her and had no idea where she was?

Edited by finley, 06 January 2006 - 06:55 AM.